The present invention relates, in general, to indicating means, and, more particularly, to means for indicating that a connection nut may have been tampered with.
Tampering with gas meters is a continuing and growing problem facing gas utilities.
This tampering includes tampering with index boxes and hand-hold plates to gain entry into the internal workings of gas meters. However, tamper-resistant fasteners, such as the fastener disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,515, have satisfactorily dealt with this index box tampering problem.
The afore-mentioned solution has forced the would-be tamperer to move to the gas meter connection nut to bypass the gas meter completely. This is accomplished by disconnecting the connection nut and "dropping the meter". A bypass pipe is connected and causes gas flow to bypass the meter, and thus to provide gas with no charge being made.
Millions of dollars in revenue is being lost by gas companies in the United States due to this meter bypassing type of tampering.
The only method presently available to the gas companies is to seal off the connection lock nut completely with hardened steel collars and barrel locks. This method is cost prohibitive.
Devices such as the indicating means disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,311,396 are not effective because there is easy access to the locking mechanism of the protective device itself. Parts of this protective device locking mechanism are exposed so the would-be tamperer can, by jimmying, release the protective device without leaving an indication of tampering. While such jimmying is not easy, the present cost of fuel may make the effort worthwhile to such a thief. Thus, the exterior location of the device locking means makes it possible to defeat this indicating device.
Thus, there is need for a cost effective, defeat proof means to alert a gas company of attempted theft. Once theft is detected, the hardened steel devices can be attached.